Device for testing explosive-engines.



No. 864,412. PATBNTED'AUG. 27, 1907.

' H. G. ESTEP.

DEVICE FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1906.

HARVEY G. ESTE P, OF ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DEVICE FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVE-ENG-INES.

I 'No. 864,412.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed August 20,1906. Serial No. 331,342- x '1 '0 all whom it may concern: a

lie it known that I, HARVEY C. Es'rnr, a citizen of the Uriil ed States, and a resident of Aberdeen, in thecounty of Brown and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useiullmprovements in Devices for Testing Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to explosive engines, and has for its object to provide means for determining the nabe determined by noting the noise produced by the exhaust of spent gases from the engine. The odor of those gases, however, is commonly so obnoxious that it is frequently desirable to have them discharged from the engine at a point where they cannot be readily observed, and in explosive engines having a plurality of power chambers and a common exhaust flue, no indication cati be had from the exhaust as to which one, it any, (if the chambers is working poorly or has failed entirely. e I

The invention contemplates means communicating with the interior of the power chamber of explosive engines whereby a portion of the power fluid iromwithin the chamber may be caused to exhaust within the view of the observer and is exemplified in the structure to be hereinater described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of an internal combustion motor having a testing appliance constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal section of the testing appliance shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a motor of the form illustrated in Fig. 1, but having a plurality of power cylinders.

A motor of the type adapted to be actuated by ex-' plosive fluids and having a reciprocating piston is illustrated in .Figs. 1' and 20f the drawings. As shown it comprises a power cylinder 10, having ,an admission port 11, an exhaust port 12, and an ignition device 13.

.The piston is designated 14 and is connected by-a pitman 15 to the crank 16 of a power shaft 17 journaled in the walls of a crank chamber 18. Preferably the piston 14 serves as a valve for theadmission and exhaust ports 11 and 12, uncovering them as it approaches the end of its out stroke, and, in order t9 prevent the power-fluid entering through the admission port 11' from sweeping across the interior of thepower cylinder 'to the exas compared with the exhaust port 12, leads out of the wall of the power cylinder preferably nearits lower end, the port opening 20, through which it communicates with the interior of the cylinder, being then only uncovered by the piston when the latter is near the end of its outstroke. As shown, a check-valve 21 is provided in the duct 20 for preventing the entrance of air through the duct to the interior of the power cylinder. It coniprises a housing 22 having a threaded connection with the walls of the duct at 23 and 24, and having its interior crosed by a diaphragm 2-5 which is apertured, as indicated at 26, to provide a passage through the valve and a tapered valve seat. A valve plunger 27 normally rests on this seat .to close the passage through the valve, but may be opened by pressure in the duct in front of the valve, its stem 28 being guided to insure registration with the aperture 26 by a thread ed nipple 29 in the wall of the housing 22.

A spring-closed manually-opened valve 30 controls the passage of gases outwardly through the duct 20 and is preferably placed beyond the check-valve 21. As shown it comprises a valve housing 31, having a threaded connection with the walls of thedu'ct at 32 and 33, and having its interior crossed by a diaphragm 34 which is apertured, as indicated at 35, to provide a valve seat. A valve plunger 36, preferably having 'a tapered head to fit the aperture 35, provides a closure :ior the valve, its stem 37 extending upwardly through a threaded nipple 38 in the wall of the valve housing 31. It is, normally held to its seat by a spring 39 coiled about its stem and reacting between the face ofthe nipple 38 and a shoulder 40 formed on the stem, this housing being, in the particular form of construction illustrated in the drawings, the under face of a grippiece 41. i

The end of the duct 20 is open to the atmosphere, as indicated at 42, in order to permit the escape'of a portion of the power fluid from the cylinder 10 when the valve 30 is opened, and preferably the end of the duct takes the form of a '1 43 having one of its ends closed by a nipple 44, the opening 42 being at the opposite end of the '1. I

In Fig. 3 of the drawings there is shown an explosive engine having a plurality of power cylinders 46, all of which exhaust into a common fine 47. For an engine of this form an independent duct 20, having valves 21 and 30, is preferably provided for each of the cylinders 46; the '1 43 being, as shown, common to all of the ducts 20 and having a downwardly-turned end 49.

The device will ordinarily be used in connection with .motor carriages, the power cylinders 10 or 46 being placed in the customary position on the. carriage frame, not shown. Each of the ducts 20 will then preferably lead to a convenient position in front of the drivers seat in order that thegrip 41 of each of the valves ma=y be readilyacc'essible anii the discharge opening 42 may be within thedrivers observation.

Any one of the power cylinders 10 or 46 of-the'engine may be tested by opening the valve. 30 of the cone-- s ponding duct 20, a small ip'ortio'n of the explosive charge within the cylinder being thus allowed to escape through the opening 42 and the violence of the" explosive within the cylinder being ascertained from the noise 0f the discharge. The hek valvefil prevents the power cylinder from taking a portion of its iiairgbihgdughthedhct QO'when-thevaivesbis'u en.

1n (i'tiir that pressure within the poworeyliniie to close this valve when it "has been opened "for use, a

list seat, 43- is preferably fo'rmeli on the intei'ior 6t ihe'wanof the valve casing 31 immediately wow the valve plunger 36. "By pressure 'applielitothe vaIvetem'BTth'evalve pluhger'lio'maybe'easily removed from its seat in "the "diaphragm 34Whenever the pressure within the 'power "cylinder "10 is released by-the' opening'ofthe eulhausrport l'zand ii the yiiiv'e 'cent one end-0t the cylinder, a piston within the cyiindei movable toward and away from the ignition device, a duct '30 leading onto! the cylinder, the mouth of the duct being =uncovereii by' th'elpiston adjacent 'theend of its outstroke,

and a manually controlled valve in the duct.

2. in-combination,;acylinder tor." explosive engines hav- 4 lug admission and exhaust ports, an ignition device adja- 35 -cent one end of the cylinder, a piston within the cylinder 'movabie to'wardand away from the ignition device, a duct leadingout of the cylinder, the mouth of the duct being "uncoveredty the piston adjacent the end of its outstroke, "a check-valve yielding to pressure within the cylinder 40 closing the duct, and a spring-closed manually opened valve in the duct beyond the check valve.

'3. lh'combina'tlon, a cylinder for'exploslve engines having admiss'ion and exhaust'ports, an ignition device adjacent oneend-of-the cylinder a piston within the cylinder movable toward and away from the ignition device, the exhaustport ot'the cylinder being uncovered by the piston adjacent the end of'its outstroke, and a duct leading out of the cylinder, the mouth of the'ductbeing in the wall of the cylinder remote from the ignition-device and being uncovered by'themiston during its outstroke before the uncovering otthe exhaust port.

4. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a power cylinder, -a' vent leading therefrom, an automatic outwardly opening valve and a manually-controlled inwardly-opening valve in the vent passage, for the'purpose specified.

, 'HARVEY C. 'ESTEP.

Witnesses H18. Dooon,

'W. H. FULLER. 

